Slice the kielbasa or smoked sausage into coins about ½-1 in. thick. Put to the side.

In a medium pot, bring water to boil, add salt and cook gluten-free pasta according to instructions - EXCEPT: cook al dente (~2 minutes less than you normally would; or if you're like me and don't time your pasta, just drain it when it's on the brink of cooked). Keep to the side while you make the dairy-free cheese sauce.

As your pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoon dairy-free butter in a sauce pan. Once melted, add the kielbasa or smoked sausage and heat over medium-heat until slightly crisped and browned (5-10 minutes).

Once the kielbasa is browned and slightly crispy, take out of the pan (leaving the dairy-free butter) and place into a deep 9x9 in. baking dish. Add the gluten-free pasta and mix together slightly. Put to the side.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter into the sauce pan and melt. Once all melted, whisk in the gluten-free four. Cook for ~1 minute until slightly thickened.

Gently whisk in the dairy-free milk to the sauce. Cook for ~3 minutes stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and sticks onto the back of a spoon. Once thickened, add the dairy-free cheese and whisk together.

Add the pumpkin puree, ~1 teaspoon salt and ~2 teaspoon pepper (I like lots of fresh cracked pepper, but feel free to use less if you're not a huge fan!). If you'd like to make the dish a little spicy, add about ½-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Whisk together and allow to come together for ~1 minute.

Turn off the heat for the dairy-free mac & cheese sauce and pour over the kielbasa and gluten-free pasta in the 9x9 baking dish. Gently mix together. Crack fresh black pepper on top.

Turn the oven onto Broil at 500ºF and place the dish on the top rack. Broil for ~5 minutes. The dairy-free cheese sauce should bubble and slightly brown.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.